Ceratozamia brevifrons

Ceratozamia brevifrons is a cycad of central Veracruz, in eastern Mexico, known only from the Sierra de Chiconquiaco, where it grows where cloud forest meets oak forest, between 450 and 1,370 m (about 1,480 to 4,500 ft). This species of the genus Ceratozamia owes its name to its leaves, which look as if they had been cut off at the tip. Described as early as 1847, it was treated for more than a century and a half as a mere form of Ceratozamia mexicana, before being reinstated in 2012, and old labels still often call it by that name. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.

Key facts about Ceratozamia brevifrons

  • Accepted name: Ceratozamia brevifrons Miq., accepted by The World List of Cycads (version 2026.08.15), by the 2022 monograph of the genus and by the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP, the database behind POWO, read via GBIF); published in 1847 according to The World List of Cycads, 1848 according to the WCVP
  • Former names and synonyms: long treated as a synonym of Ceratozamia mexicana (later of Ceratozamia mexicana var. mexicana), until 2012; the Alto Lucero population was also called Ceratozamia mexicana var. robusta
  • Family: Zamiaceae, order Cycadales
  • Common names: no English name; in Veracruz, “palma”, “palmilla”, and “tepezmaite” or “palmita”, names shared with other species
  • Natural range: Mexico, central Veracruz (Sierra de Chiconquiaco), 450 to 1,370 m
  • IUCN status: Endangered (EN, criterion A2c), assessment published in 2022
  • CITES and other protection: CITES Appendix I (whole genus, since 1985); Annex A in the European Union
  • Documented hardiness: −6 °C (21.2 °F) survived without protection or damage by a “Palma Sola” plant in the ground under eucalyptus trees on the French Riviera in winter 2011–2012; a single garden observation, indicative only (see Cold hardiness)
  • Light and soil: in the wild, the edge between cloud forest and oak forest; a terrestrial plant, not a rock-dweller
  • Habit and adult size: upright trunk 20 to 70 cm; 6 to 36 leaves 0.6 to 1.7 m long
  • In the UK, US and Australia: Montgomery Botanical Center and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Florida); Lotusland, the Huntington, San Diego Zoo and the University of California Botanical Garden (California, BGCI); none in the UK or Australia
  • Toxicity: no data specific to the species; treat it as poisonous, like all cycads (see Toxicity and precautions)

How to recognise Ceratozamia brevifrons

Its clearest character is the shape of the leaf: the leaflets at the tip are almost as large as those in the middle, so that the leaf looks truncated. Leathery leaflets, keeled on the upper side, and petioles bristling with many short, stout prickles complete the picture. The 2022 monograph describes it as follows:

  • Trunk: above ground, upright, 20 to 70 cm long and 15 to 40 cm across.
  • Leaves: 6 to 36, drooping, 58 to 173 cm, yellowish green with brown hairs when they emerge; petiole 20 to 56 cm, armed with 40 to 90 stout prickles; rachis prickly.
  • Leaflets: 13 to 38 pairs, lanceolate, keeled, sometimes overlapping, leathery, light green, sickle-shaped at the base; median leaflets 15.5 to 41 cm by 2 to 4.1 cm; yellow articulation.
  • Male cones: cylindrical, upright, 18 to 31 cm by 4 to 7 cm, yellowish green.
  • Female cones: cylindrical, 25 to 33 cm by 9.8 to 12.5 cm, yellowish green with brown to blackish hairs, with an acuminate, short-pointed tip; 80 to 224 scales with straight, stout horns.
  • Seeds: oval, 2 to 3 cm, with yellow flesh turning light brown.

Hybrids

No natural or garden hybrid has been documented.

Possible confusion

Ceratozamia brevifrons belongs to the Ceratozamia mexicana complex, a group of closely related species of central Veracruz:

  • Ceratozamia mexicana has flat, lanceolate leaflets with a symmetrical tip, and a dark green female cone with black and grey hairs;
  • Ceratozamia tenuis and Ceratozamia morettii, from the neighbouring cloud forests, are also terrestrial species of this group;
  • the study by Habib and colleagues (2023) notes that Ceratozamia brevifrons also recalls Ceratozamia robusta in its morphology.

The name Ceratozamia mexicana was long applied to all these plants: an old label is not enough to identify a cultivated plant.

Taxonomy

Ceratozamia brevifrons has a long and eventful nomenclatural history.

The Dutch botanist Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel described it in 1847. As early as the following year he regarded it as a juvenile form of Ceratozamia mexicana, and in his later work he combined under that name the five species he had described. This treatment was followed by Regel (1876), Thiselton-Dyer (1884) and Schuster (1932), then by Vovides and colleagues (1983), who made it a synonym of Ceratozamia mexicana var. mexicana. The year of publication differs between the reference databases: The World List of Cycads gives 1847, noting an issue date of July to December 1847, whereas the WCVP gives 1848.

In 2012, Andrew Vovides, Sergio Avendaño, Miguel Angel Pérez-Farrera and Dennis Stevenson (Brittonia) found plants in the wild that matched Miquel’s description. As no original material survived, they designated a neotype and reinstated the species. Later revisions accepted it, and in 2025 an integrative taxonomic study (Medina-Villarreal and colleagues, Plant Species Biology), combining phylogeography, morphometrics and climatic niches across 13 populations, confirmed it as one of the seven lineages of the Ceratozamia mexicana complex, alongside Ceratozamia delucana, Ceratozamia decumbens, Ceratozamia mexicana, Ceratozamia morettii, Ceratozamia tenuis and a cryptic species still unnamed.

The population of the municipality of Alto Lucero de Gutiérrez Barrios, where the 2022 monograph places the neotype, illustrates this uncertainty: it was named Ceratozamia mexicana var. robusta in 1983, Ceratozamia brevifrons in 2008, Ceratozamia mexicana in 2016, and Ceratozamia brevifrons again in 2022. According to its abstract, the 2025 study refers two populations, including that of Alto Lucero, to Ceratozamia brevifrons. Montgomery Botanical Center still records one of its accessions under Ceratozamia mexicana, with Ceratozamia brevifrons as the accepted name.

For the reader, the consequence is practical: books and old labels still call this plant Ceratozamia mexicana.

Etymology and history

The epithet comes from the Latin brevis, “short”, and frons, “frond” or “leaf”: the terminal leaflets, almost as large as the median ones, make the leaf look as though its tip has been cut off (Haynes, 2022, followed by The World List of Cycads). Miquel published the name in the Tijdschrift voor de Wis- en Natuurkundige Wetenschappen (volume 1, pages 41 to 42).

The neotype, designated by Vovides and colleagues in 2012, was collected in April 2005 by Sergio Avendaño (number 5699) in the municipality of Alto Lucero de Gutiérrez Barrios (Veracruz); it is kept in the XAL herbarium.

Common names

There is no English name. From herbarium labels, the 2022 monograph records the names “palma” and “palmilla” in Veracruz. A 2024 study groups Ceratozamia brevifrons, Ceratozamia morettii and Ceratozamia tenuis under the local name “tepezmaite” or “palmita”: these names therefore do not refer to a single species.

In the wild

Ceratozamia brevifrons is known only from the Sierra de Chiconquiaco, in central Veracruz, in the municipalities of Alto Lucero de Gutiérrez Barrios, Chiconquiaco, Colipa, Juchique de Ferrer and Vega de Alatorre. It grows where cloud forest meets oak forest, between 450 and 1,370 m; it is a terrestrial plant, not a rock-dweller.

A modelling study published in 2024 in PLOS ONE (Gómez-Díaz and colleagues) presents it as the most “tropical” of the three tepezmaites of central Veracruz: its distribution depends mainly on temperature seasonality, and it occupies the lowest altitudes. According to this model, the species took refuge on the foothills of the Sierra de Chiconquiaco during the glacial periods, and its favourable range could expand by about 60 % with future warming, unlike those of Ceratozamia morettii and Ceratozamia tenuis.

Conservation status and regulation

Ceratozamia brevifrons is listed as Endangered (EN, criterion A2c) on the IUCN Red List, in an assessment by D.W. Stevenson and A.P. Vovides published in 2022, according to The World List of Cycads; the IUCN data relayed by GBIF give the same category, and the reference of the assessment was checked on Crossref (30 October 2026).

The 2022 monograph recalls that a niche model estimated its potential range at about 817 km², of which 558 km² was transformed habitat, and that no population lies in a protected area. The assessment of the cycads of Veracruz published in 2025 (Gómez Díaz) gives it eight localities, an extent of occurrence of 693 km² and 89 % of habitat lost. In Mexico, according to the 2024 study, the species is protected by the NOM-059 standard only through its former synonymy with Ceratozamia mexicana.

Like the whole genus, it has been listed in CITES Appendix I since 1 August 1985, and in Annex A of Regulation (EC) No 338/97 in the European Union (annexes now set by Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, applicable since 29 June 2026); Species+ names it explicitly (checked on 30 October 2026). Seeds are not exempt.

This general information does not replace the official texts: check the regulations in force before buying or exchanging plants, ask the seller for proof of origin, and prefer plants raised from cultivated seed.

Growing Ceratozamia brevifrons

No growing guide has been published by a garden or institution, although the species is held by several botanic gardens in Florida and California (see below). Its native habitat, the edge of cloud forest and oak woodland on the Gulf of Mexico slope, suggests partial shade, a humus-rich, well-drained soil and regular moisture; these indications are deduced from the habitat.

Outdoor and in-ground cultivation

The only documented outdoor result comes from the Mediterranean coast of France: at the Jardin zoologique tropical in La Londe-les-Maures (Var), a “Palma Sola” plant, from the Alto Lucero population now referred to Ceratozamia brevifrons, has grown in the ground for more than ten years under a eucalyptus canopy; it is watered by sprinkler in summer and grows slowly (see Cold hardiness). On the French forum Fous de palmiers, a grower in the Gard (southern France) mentioned in April 2013 a Ceratozamia brevifrons that bled a lot of sap from freshly cut petioles after several days of rain; other members described the same harmless phenomenon on other cycads. His growing conditions are not stated.

Container cultivation

No container-growing report has been published. A deep pot for the taproot, a humus-rich but free-draining compost, bright shade and regular watering during growth, with a frost-free winter, would follow its habitat and the general advice for the genus.

In cultivation in the UK, US and Australia

In the United States, Montgomery Botanical Center (Coral Gables, Florida) holds three accessions under this name in its online catalogue, plus one recorded as Ceratozamia mexicana; Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden lists the species in its online Garden Explorer (updated 16 October 2026). In California, Ganna Walska Lotusland (Montecito), the Huntington (San Marino), the San Diego Zoo and the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley declare it to BGCI PlantSearch. No British or Australian garden declares it (BGCI and Montgomery checked on 30 October 2026). Outside these countries, BGCI lists the Clavijero botanic garden in Xalapa (Mexico) and the botanic garden of Lyon (France). A BGCI listing shows that a garden has declared the species at some point, not that a living plant is there today; and given the old confusion with Ceratozamia mexicana, plants under either name may be wrongly labelled.

Propagation

No data specific to the species. Like the other Ceratozamia, it is propagated from fertilised seed, the plant having separate male and female individuals.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease has been documented for this species.

Cold hardiness

Only one cold-tolerance observation is documented for Ceratozamia brevifrons, on the French Riviera; it remains indicative.

Mediterranean and European experience

At the Jardin zoologique tropical in La Londe-les-Maures (Var, south-eastern France), a Ceratozamia “Palma Sola”, from the Alto Lucero population referred to Ceratozamia brevifrons, grown in the ground for more than ten years under eucalyptus trees, withstood −6 °C (21.2 °F) without protection in winter 2011–2012, with no frost damage at all. This Mediterranean experience may help readers in comparable climates, such as coastal California or southern Australia, without giving an exact equivalent for any particular place. No other outdoor result is documented in Europe. The many French reports on the genus concern mainly Ceratozamia mexicana and cannot be transferred to this species.

United Kingdom, United States and Australia

No cold record and no commercial hardiness rating have been published for the species. The 2024 modelling study describes it as the tropical-climate species of its group, unlike the tepezmaites of cooler cloud forest, which does not suggest that it is hardy. In the UK it would need a frost-free glasshouse.

Toxicity and precautions

No toxicity data exist for this species or for the genus. In other cycads, the seeds above all contain toxic glycosides (cycasin, macrozamin), from which methylazoxymethanol is derived, a compound harmful to the liver and nervous system. Treat the plant as poisonous: keep seeds out of reach of children and animals, wear gloves to handle them, and call a poison centre, a doctor or a vet if any part is swallowed.

Traditional uses

No use has been documented; the 2022 monograph records none.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ceratozamia brevifrons a form of Ceratozamia mexicana?

No. It was treated as one from 1848 to 2012, but it was reinstated as a species in 2012, and a 2025 genetic and ecological study confirms that it forms a distinct lineage.

What does “brevifrons” mean?

“Short-leaved”, from the Latin brevis and frons. As the leaflets at the tip are almost as large as those in the middle, the leaf looks cut off.

Where does it grow?

Only in the Sierra de Chiconquiaco, in central Veracruz, Mexico, between 450 and 1,370 m, where cloud forest meets oak forest.

Is it endangered?

Yes. The IUCN has listed it as Endangered since 2022: its range is small, largely transformed by farming, and no population is protected.

Is it frost-hardy?

Little is known. A single observation exists: at the Jardin zoologique tropical in La Londe-les-Maures, on the French Riviera, a “Palma Sola” plant in the ground under eucalyptus trees withstood −6 °C (21.2 °F) without protection in winter 2011–2012, without damage. Reports on Ceratozamia mexicana do not apply to it. Away from a sheltered site, keep it frost-free to be safe.

What is “tepezmaite”?

A local name in central Veracruz used for several Ceratozamia: Ceratozamia brevifrons, Ceratozamia morettii and Ceratozamia tenuis.

Further reading on Succulentes

Sources

Reference sites

Bibliography

  • Miquel, F.A.W. (1847). [Description of Ceratozamia brevifrons.] Tijdschrift voor de Wis- en Natuurkundige Wetenschappen, uitgegeven door de Eerste Klasse van het Koninklijk Nederlandsch Instituut van Wetenschappen 1(1): 41–42. [Original description; reference as given by The World List of Cycads, dated 1848 by the WCVP.]
  • Vovides, A.P., Avendaño, S., Pérez-Farrera, M.A. & Stevenson, D.W. (2012). What is Ceratozamia brevifrons (Zamiaceae)? Brittonia 64(1): 35–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-011-9199-8 [Reinstatement and neotypification, as reported by The World List of Cycads and the monograph.]
  • Martínez-Domínguez, L., Nicolalde-Morejón, F., Vergara-Silva, F. & Stevenson, D.W. (2018). Taxonomic review of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) in the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico. PhytoKeys 100: 91–124. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.100.23152 [Taxonomic history; open access.]
  • Martínez-Domínguez, L., Nicolalde-Morejón, F., Vergara-Silva, F. & Stevenson, D.W. (2022). Monograph of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae, Cycadales): an endangered genus. PhytoKeys 208: 1–102. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.208.80382 [Description, range, status; open access.]
  • Medina-Villarreal, A., González-Astorga, J. & Espinosa de los Monteros, A. (2025). Integrative taxonomy of the Ceratozamia mexicana Brongn. (Zamiaceae) species complex from a phylogeographic perspective. Plant Species Biology 40(6): 530–546. https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.70008 [Seven lineages; two populations, including that of Alto Lucero, referred to Ceratozamia brevifrons; abstract.]
  • Gómez-Díaz, J.A. et al. (2024). Past, present and future in the geographical distribution of Mexican Tepezmaite cycads: genus Ceratozamia. PLOS ONE 19(2): e0284007. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284007 [Niche models; open access.]
  • Gómez Díaz, J.A. (2025). Assessing the extinction risk of Veracruz cycads. Cambridge Prisms: Extinction 3: e7. https://doi.org/10.1017/ext.2025.5 [Threat indicators; open access.]
  • Stevenson, D.W. & Vovides, A.P. (2022). Ceratozamia brevifrons. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T187824A1827713. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T187824A1827713.en [Category as given by The World List of Cycads; confirmed by GBIF, reference checked on Crossref.]
  • Haynes, J.L. (2022). Etymological compendium of cycad names. Phytotaxa 550(1): 1–31. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.550.1.1 [Etymology, as cited by The World List of Cycads.]
  • Calonje, M., Stevenson, D.W. & Osborne, R. (2026). The World List of Cycads, version 2026.08.15. Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21958524 [Reference checklist.]